GoMRI eNews · Oct 27, 2020 · ← All issues
Welcome to the GoMRI eNews.

Keeping you current on emerging Gulf science and the people investigating the effects of oil spills on the environment and public health.

October 27, 2020                                                                    GoMRI eNews

Stories

Sea Grant Publication Offers Tips for Effective Academic Engagement with Spill Response Community

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is pleased to announce a new Sea Grant tip sheet that discusses how academic researchers can become more familiar with priority oil spill research needs and with protocols for collecting data during response activities.

State Events to Showcase a Decade of Discovery with the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) and the Sea Grant oil spill outreach team are pleased to announce and extend an invitation to attend Gulf Coast state events that will highlight GoMRI contributions to research, recovery, and resilience from a state-based perspective.

Studies Explore the Roles of Halloysite Clay Particles and Solvents in Oil Dispersion Technologies

Scientists with the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) have been investigating solvent-free formulations to improve the safety and efficiency of dispersant technologies used in oil spill response. One promising area involves halloysite clay nanotubes.

From the Archives

Grad Student Montas Assesses Oil Spill Health Risks to Children During Beach Play

Posted on October 24, 2019
The Deepwater Horizon incident affected more than 1,700 km of Gulf of Mexico coastline. Chemical compounds from the oil spill posed a risk to human health, especially children whose play behaviors often bring them in direct contact with sand and water.

Oil Spill Science Outreach Team Honored with Highest Sea Grant Extension Award

Posted on October 25, 2018
The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative is pleased to announce that its partner Sea Grant and their Oil Spill Science Outreach Program received the National Superior Outreach Programming Award for synthesizing research results related to the Deepwater Horizon incident and engaging audiences who rely on healthy marine ecosystems to learn of their needs and share the latest science.

Study Finds Low Oil Concentrations Impair Self-Preservation Behaviors in Coral Reef Fish Larvae

Posted on October 26, 2017
Researchers from the United States, Australia, and Europe conducted mesocosm experiments to assess how larval reef fishes respond physiologically and cognitively to low crude oil concentrations. The team observed that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), at levels recorded in industrialized sections of tropical coral reefs worldwide, increased larvae mortality and stunted growth rates.

Study Examines Gulf Killifish Rapid Adaptive Resistance to Contaminants

Posted on October 27, 2016
Scientists conducted exposure experiments on Gulf killifish populations with known adaptions to common environmental contaminates to determine how rapid adaptation affects future fish health.

Publications
Study Uses Novel Three-Scale Energetics Framework to Investigate Loop Current Eddy Shedding
Instabilities and Multiscale Interactions Underlying the Loop Current Eddy Shedding in the Gulf of Mexico. Yang, Y.; Weisberg, R.H.; Liu, Y.; San Liang, X. 2020. Journal of Physical Oceanography 50(5):1289-1317. 

Study Discovers Three new Bathyteuthids Species of Squid
A description of three new bathyteuthid squid species from the North Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. Judkins, H.; Lindgren, A.; Villanueva, R.; Clark, K.; Vecchione, M. 2020. Bulletin of Marine Science 96(2):281-296.

Data
Bacterial 16S rRNA sequences of deep-sea corals in the Gulf of Mexico, 2009-10-29 to 2019-08-23 -- data link

Reef fish densities (per 1,000 m^3) at natural reefs sites estimated with ROV video sampling in the northern Gulf of Mexico from 2012-03-13 to 2014-08-25 -- data link

Three-dimensional daily oil concentrations and oil mass estimates in the Gulf of Mexico from the modeling of the Deepwater Horizon 2010 oil spill using a Connectivity Modeling System -- data link

Announcements

Save The Date! Sea Grant to Host “Decade of Discovery State Showcases” Series
As GoMRI research comes to a close, the Sea Grant Oil Spill Science Outreach Team will host events to celebrate GoMRI’s unique contributions to research, recovery, and resilience in each Gulf state over the past decade. All events can be attended via Zoom or Facebook Live. See below for more information about your state’s event:
  • Mississippi: An October 29th event called “A Salute to the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative’s Contribution to the State of Science in Mississippi” will take place at 1 pm Central Time. Register here to attend on Zoom or tune in via Facebook Live.
  • Louisiana: A November 10th event called “Commemorating 10 Years of GoMRI Science in Louisiana” will take place at 2 pm Central Time. Register here to attend on Zoom or tune in via Facebook Live.